Following the argument that some state governments are not able to pay the N30,000 national minimum wage passed into law in 2019 and may not be able to pay a higher figure being demanded by the organised labour in the just concluded new wage negotiation, scribe to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has argued that governors in the States in question intentionally disregard payment of workers’ salary.
Mr Chris Onyeka, NLC’s Assistant General Secretary, said that some state governors intentionally chose to disregard the national minimum wage law, which he said is a direct refusal to pay workers their monthly salary.
He added that the belief of such state governors is that workers’ salaries can wait while they use the money meant for wage payment to do other things.
Onyeka added that such act flout the Minimum Wage Act and the sanctity of the laws that govern the country.
In a telephone interview with Nigerian Tribune, Onyeka noted that even with the increased revenue accruable to the three tiers of government following the removal of fuel subsidy, 15 states were yet to implement the N30,000 minimum wage.
“A state governor that does not believe in the sanctity of the law will have a high proclivity to disobeying them. If you examine the history of some of these governors and their handlers, you will find a preponderance of those who came to power by breaking the laws. Is it now that they will obey the national minimum wage act?” Onyeka queried.
Onyeka said the governors who refused to pay the minimum wage with excuses do so because there are no consequences for disobeying the minimum wage law. He went on to say that some governors see state resources as their personal property and not for the citizens and are therefore unwilling to pay workers who creates wealth their wages.
On how to compel state governors to pay the minimum wage, the NLC scribe said the Federal Government committed to ensuring compliance with the law because the Constitution has empowered it to do so.
“The federal allocation to such states, once it is established that they are habitual breakers of the law, should be sequestered until they are compelled to pay. The unions should also be empowered and supported in their actions against such states to pay. The Judiciary can be strengthened, especially the IAP and NIC, to carry out their responsibilities effectively and not only give rulings but also give enforceable garnishee orders against such government,” he said.
He further urged state governors to employ cost-cutting measures in order to pay workers a living wage by cutting down the number of political appointees to reduce the overhead.
Also, he said there should be reduction in the salaries and allowances receivable by the three arms of government in each state to be in sync with what is receivable by civil servants in the state.
Onyeka called for a reduction in the number of logistics, operational vehicles, procurement processes, stoppage of budgetary provisions that allow for legal looting of the states, among others.
On legal options available to workers and the Federal Government to compel state to pay minimum wage, he said National Minimum Wage Act has clauses that takes care of the monitoring and compliance.
He said: “It is at the level of enforcement that we fail woefully at. It is a breach of the law and there should be willingness on the part of the Federal Government to enforce those clauses.
“Like I have said before, the strengthening of the adjudicatory process in industrial relatuions is important and collaborating with the unions, especially the labour centres, to ensure compliance.
“It is the rights of unions to embark on strikes, so, it becomes the duty of the Federal Government to give constant protection to workers so aggrieved to freely exercise this legal right. This is rather than embarking on the propaganda or name calling against the union leaders and use of violence to harass and intimidate.”
